Factory fire in Bucheon likely caused by oil vapor ignited by frictional heat: officials

A fire at a factory in Bucheon that left one firefighter dead and seven others injured was likely caused by an oil mist catching fire during a metal cleaning operation, officials said Saturday.

The fire broke out at the four-story metalworking factory in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, on Friday before fire authorities fully extinguished the blaze some 2 1/2 hours later.

One firefighter went into cardiac arrest, before he was pronounced dead while being treated at a hospital. Seven others were injured, including another fireman who sustained serious injuries.

A joint team comprising firefighters, police, the National Forensic Service (NFS) and the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation conducted an on-site inspection on Saturday to determine the cause of the blaze.

Investigators found that workers had been using paint thinner to clean metal parts at the time of the fire.

Authorities suspect that vapors released as the thinner evaporated may have been ignited by a spark caused by static electricity, an electrical discharge or frictional heat.

The work area in the factory reportedly lacked safety equipment, including explosion-prevention facilities, according to officials.

The joint inspection team also found about a dozen containers of thinner, some of them open, just 1 to 2 meters from the suspected point of origin. Hundreds of paint cans stored at the site are also believed to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

The team plans to request a detailed analysis of the residual cleaning solvent recovered from the site to the NFS.